Tool for applying split clamping rings to containers



Deg. 26, 1939. H. A. EGGERSS TOOL FOR APPLYING SPLIT CLAMPING RINGS TO CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 18; 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l N V E N TO R flaps A. Eygerss.

ATTORNEYS Dec. 26, 1939. H. A. EG GERSS TOOL FOR APPLYING SPLIT CLAMPING RINGS TO CONTAINERS Filed Feb. 18, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. Hans A Eggerss A TTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES 'r'ooL FOR- APPLYING SPLIT GLAMPING mos 'ro CONTAINERS Hans A. Eggerss, Van Wert, Ohio Application February 18, 1939, Serial No. 257,151

3 Claims.

My invention relates to a tool for applying split clamping rings to containers. It has to do, more particularly, with a tool which is adapted to be used for applying split clamping or retaining 5 rings of the type disclosed in my co-pending application, S. N. 217,355, now Patent No. 2,162,396 to the ends of cylindrical containers in order to retain removable heads or closures in position at the ends of the container.

able to rings of the general type disclosed in my co-pending application, S. N. 217,355, filed July 5, 1938, it is not necessarily limited thereto. The

ring disclosed in my said co-pending application embodies a split metal ring which is employed for retaining a metal head in position on the end of a cylindrical container. This split metal ring is provided at its adjacent ends with portions which will interfit with each other when the ring 20 is contracted into clamping relationship with the container and the closure head. The present invention relates'to a tool which may be used for contracting the said ring around the cooperating container and head.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a tool for applying a split ring to a cooperatingv container and closure head of the type referred to above, said tool being of such a nature that it may be quickly applied to the ring in order to Another object of my invention is to provide 3 a tool of the type indicated which is very efto manufacture.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts and wherein:

the tool will appear after it has been actuated to contract and lock the ring. v

Figure 5 is a perspective View showing a por- Although this invention is particularly appliccontract it around the container and may be fective but which is very simple and inexpensive vtion of the container and the retaining ring and.

showing the tool applied thereto, the ring being in the expanded or unlocked condition.

Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating a portion of the ring and-the cooperating ring-engagv ing member of the tool. 5&-

Figure 7 is'a horizontal section taken through the ring and tool and illustrating diagrammatically difierent positions the parts of the toolwill occupy during contraction of the ring.

Figure 8 is a horizontal section through the adjacent ends of the ring illustrating how the topmost end must be raised relative to the lowermost end in looking these ends together.

As previously stated, my tool is particularly applicable to a ring of the type illustrated in my co-pending application, S. N. 217,355. Asillustrated in Figure 5 of this application and in Figure 7 of S. N. 217,355, this ring is adapted to be applied 'to a container structure which includes a cylindrical body portion l which may be of fiber board .or other similar material] A head 2, preferably of metal, is applied to the end of the container. A reinforcing metal band 3 embraces the upper end of the container and is provided with a portion 4 extendingaround .5a

over the upper edge of the container. The reinforcing metal band and the wall of the container are .bent to form a continuous external groove 6 and a continuous internal head-supporting rib I. As indicated, the head 2 is so shaped that it has a portion resting on an internal rib 1. It also has a flange 8 which extends over the upper edge of the container and downwardly into overlapping relationship to the metal reinforcing band 3. .5;

The retaining ring 10 which is provided is a split metal retaining and clamping ring. It is adapted to be contracted around the upper end of the container and is provided with a portion l I adapted to extend into the groove 6 and a portion 14 adapted to cooperate with and retain the head 2 in position on the container. In order to lock the retaining ring in position on the container. interfitting portions are provided on the ends of the split rings which are adapted to be disposed, in overlapping relationship. As disclosed in my co-pending application, these interfitting portions include an elongated slot I! formed in the end of the ring which will be disposed innermost and an elongated inwardly projecting lug l8 formed on the end of the: ring which will be disposed on the outside. This lug and the slot are formed in an outwardly curved or convex rib portion N5 of the ring which'cooperates with a bead 8a formed on the lower edge of the flange 8 of head 2. The structure so far described is substantially the same as the structure illustrated in my co-pending application.

As previously stated, the present invention relates to a tool which is of such a nature that it may be applied quickly to the ring ID in order to contact it around the container and may be removed quickly therefrom after the ring is contracted and the interfitting portions l1 and it are engaged in order to lock the ring in contracted condition.

As illustrated best in Figures 1 and. 2, this tool comprising a lever 3! having a handle portion 32 formed on the outer end thereof. A link 33 has one of its ends pivoted to the lever 3| at the point 34 which is intermediate the length of the lever 31. The inner end of the lever 3! has pivoted thereto, as at 35, a block or ringengaging member 36. Similarly the free end of the link 33 has pivoted thereto, as at 31, a block or ring-engaging member 38. It will be noted from Figure 2 that the link 33 is bent, as

at 39, so that at the free end of the link there is provided a portion 43 which lies in the same plane as the lever 31. Because of this, the members 3S and 38 will also he in the same plane. The lever 31 is provided adjacent its inner end with an integral stop portion M which is adapted to engage the link 33 to limit pivotal movement of the link 33 relative to the lever 31 in one direction. The link 33 is provided with an integral stop member 42 adjacent the member 38 to limit pivotal movement of the member 38 relative to the link.

Each of the members 36 and 33 has a chamber 43 formed on its inner surface which is adapted to receive the retaining ring l0. Furthermore,

each of the members 33 and 38 is provided with These heads are disposed within the channel 43 which receives the ring. A portion of each of the pins also projects into this channel. The pins are disposed in longitudinally spaced relationship and each pair is adapted to cooperate with a pair of cooperating slots 43 formed in each end of the ring it. Each slot 43 embodies an enlarged portion 41 through which the head 35 may pass and a reduced portion 38 through which the projecting portion of the pin may pass but which is too small to permit passage of the head 35 therethrough.

In using this tool, the retaining ring i is properly positioned on the container as indicated in Figure 5. .The tool is then'positioned on the ends of the ring which will at this time be in slightly overlapping relationship, as indicated in Figures and 7. The ring-engaging member 38 is engaged with the end of the ring which will be disposed on the outside or uppermost. The ring-engaging member 33 will be disposed on the end of the ring which will be disposed inside or underneath. To engage member 33 or member 38 with the ring, it is merely necessary to pass the heads 35 of pins M through the enlarged portions 4! of slots Mi and then to move member 33 or 33 slightly longitudinally of the ring to cause the projecting portions of pins 4G to move into the small portions 48 of the slots. The slots 43 are so arranged that the pull exerted by the tool on the ends of the rings during contraction of the ring will keep the pins M in the narrow portions of the slots and will thereby prevent accidental displacement of the members 36 and 33 from the ring.

With the tool thus engaged with the ring, it is merely necessary to swing the lever 3| outwardly, laterally and then inwardly towards the container, as indicated in Figure '7, until the link 33 contacts with the stop M carried by the lever. As indicated by the dotted lines in Figure '7, this will cause the members 33 and 38 to move towards each other and will cause the pivot point 34 to move towards the left and inwardly towards the container. This causes the ends of the ring it to be moved in opposite directions and towards each other until the lug it! enters the slot it and locks the ring in contracted condition. The link 33 is so shaped and the pivot point 34 isso disposed that as the members 35 and 38 move toward each other and impart corresponding movements to the ends of the ring, the end of the ring upon which member 38 is mounted will be moved outwardly or raised relative to the end of the ring which is disposed innermost and carries member 36. When the pivot point 3d passes the pivot point 35, the lug IE will be above the slot H and continued movement of lever 3i will cause the lug to move downwardly or inwardly into the slot ll.

The pivot point 34 is so disposed and the link 33 is of such length and of such shape that the end of the ring will be moved in opposite directions through the required distance to cause the lug E8 to enter the slot ll. It will be noted from Figure 4 that link 33 is provided with a portion 69 which will be substantially parallel with the lever 3% when the ring is locked and with .a portion 53 which is at an angle to the portion 49 and which will be at an angle to lever 3| when the ring is locked. Figure 4 and from Figure '7 that pivot points 35 and 3?, which connect ring engaging blocks 36 and 33 to lever 3| and 33, respectively, lie tangent to the outer surface of retaining ring lil. Thus, in transferring the force from the ring engaging blocks 33 and 38 to the retaining ring Iii, through the medium of pins '54 engaging in slots 46, said force produced by moving lever 3i, laterall is applied tangent to the outer surface of retaining ring I!) and no component force is produced tending to disengage pins 44 from slots 46.

The stop Al is so disposed as to permit the pivot point 34 to move beyond the line A which passes through the pivot points 35 and 31, as indicated by line B. Thus, the pivot point 34 moves past center. This will produce an inward force on the lever 3! at the pivot point 34 by the link 33 which will tend to keep the lever in its final position. During movement of the lever 35 to its final position, the lever 3! and the link 33 will pivot about the points 35 and 3?, respectively. However, the pivotal movement of link at) about point 3? will not be very great. Therefore, it is possible to provide the stop 42 to limit pivotal movement of member 38 relative to link 33, which will facilitate the application of the tool to the ring.

The feature of having the pivot point 3.5 moved past center when the lever 31 reaches its final position is advantageous because it provides means tending to hold the lever in its final position while a locking pin is applied to the overlapping ends of the ring in the manner described in my co-pending application. After the locking pin has been applied and it is desired to remove the tool, it is merely necessaryto throw It will also be noted from i the lever 3| outwardly which moves members 36 and 38 in the proper directions to position heads 45 in the enlarged portion 41 of the slots 46. Then the tool can be removed readily from the ring.

It will be apparent from the above description that I have provided a tool for applying split rings of the type indicated to containers having many desirable features. This tool is of such a nature that it may be applied to and removed Irom the ring quickly and easily. In the past, ring-contracting devices have been made as a part of the ring itself and have been of a complicated and expensive structure. My device may be used over and over again to contract the rings on the containers. It is of a simple and inexpensive structure but is very efiective.

Various other advantages will be apparent from the preceding description, the drawings and the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a split ring, said ring being adapted to be contracted so that its ends overlap and having interfitting portions adapted to mainand being pivoted to the inner end of said lever,

a ring-engaging member adapted to engage the other end of said ring and being pivoted to the free end of said link, said lever and said link being so shaped and said pivot points being so disposed that the ring-engaging member connected to said link will move the end of the ring to which it is connected laterally away from the other end of the ring during contraction of the ring.

2. In combination, a split ring, said ring being adapted to be contracted so that its ends overlap and having interfitting portions adapted to maintain it in contracted condition, a tool for contracting said split ring and causing said interfitting portions to engage each other, said tool comprising a main lever, a link having one of its ends pivoted to said lever at a point intermediate the ends of said lever, a member pivoted to the inner end of said lever and adapted to engage one end of said ring, a ring-engaging member adapted to engage the other end of said ring and being pivoted to the free end of said link, each of said ring-engaging members being provided with a channel adapted to receive said ring, and each 01" said ring-engaging members being provided with pins projecting into said channel and adapted to extend into cooperative openings formed in said ring.

3. A tool for contracting split rings of the type described comprising a main lever,a link having one of its ends pivoted to said lever at a point intermediate the ends of said lever, a'member adapted to be connected to one end of the ring and pivoted to the inner end of said lever, a member adapted to be connected to the other end of said ring and pivoted to the free end of said link, a stop member for limiting pivotal movement of said last-named member on said link, and a stop member for limiting pivotal movement in one direction of said lever relative to said link, said last-named stop member being so disposed as to permit movement of the pivot point between said link and said lever beyond a line passing through the pivot points of said ring-engaging members, each of said ring-engaging members being provided with a channel adapted to receive the ring, and. each of said ring-engaging members being provided with pins projecting into said channel which are adapted to extend into cooperative openings formed in the ring.

HANS A. EGGERSS. 

